I reaaally didn't want to do this, but dealing with this person has been a waste of time and cost me over u$200. It's a rather tedious story, but I hope anyone who reads this doesn't waste their time with this artist. They'll be saving themselves a lot of pain.

I started commissioning RenX in February last year. For the first couple of commissions he (and it is a he despite the profile) got things done on time and we had no problems. Starting from November 2014 I paid them for one drawing and it took them two months to get it done. In February this year I paid them for another commission again and, like last time, it took them nearly two months to finish the drawing. Still, I didn't think much of it in either case since I've dealt with multiple artists and I know sometimes they run into personal issues where they don't have time.

The actual problems began in April this year. I asked RenX if he had time to do two commissions for me and he said yes, so I sent him the details for both and said I'd be paying him in a week. Within a few days he answered with a very rough sketch of one of the commissions and remained quick to answer until I sent the payment of $240 a week later.
After the payment his answers completely stopped and he started ignoring my e-mails. I never got the sketch for the second commission either, which according to him he had already done. After over three weeks without an answer (I had sent him three e-mails in the meantime) RenX answers back in mid-May saying that he was busy and he'd have them done soon. Two more weeks pass with no answer and I finally send them one asking if I can get a refund. He answers back a few days later saying it's not possible because they no longer have money in their Paypal account, but that they'll do my commissions in June.

June comes and goes with RenX not contacting me and only answering to the second e-mail I send at the end of the month, says he's too busy and hasn't had time to do anything. I answer them and for the rest of June and July I receive absolutely nothing. I didn't even waste any time sending them another e-mail until August since I knew it would be pointless.
In August I decide to check this site and see RenX still doing commissions like normal and advertising his services despite the fact that he has done nothing I paid him to. I finally decide to send him another e-mail mentioning this and they answer the same day saying, for the millionth time, that they have been too busy to do anything. I answer and once again they completely vanish until I send another e-mail at the end of August, which he answered at the beginning of September, telling the same old tale and saying that if he didn't do the commissions within a month he'd give me my money back. Naturally, they did nothing and ignored my e-mails. Around September I also checked his profile and noticed some people also wondering where their commissions were. I contacted one person who told me they managed to get a refund through Paypal's Dispute system, unfortunately that wouldn't work for me since I had let too much time pass already.
In October, rather than e-mailing him I decide to post in their profile and they answer by e-mail the same day saying he had problems with his e-mails and that I should send him the commission details again. I ask for a refund again and he refuses. I send him the details for the drawings again to see if he'll get them done this time. On the same day I also notice he erased the comment I left on his profile alongside the others of two or three different people asking where their commissions were. Surprisingly, I actually get a sketch three days later and for a moment I think I'll get them done already. However, that's short lived and RenX vanishes completely again for the rest of the month. He sure spend a lot of time in his profile advertising discounts (and even in this forum no less) and mentioning he's open for more commissions, though!

Finally, in mid-November, after a month with no answer, I decide to post in RenX's profile again. My message is quickly erased and he blocks me from commenting again. He e-mails me moments after repeating the same speech where they have been too busy. At this point I tell them again to give me a refund despite knowing nothing will happen and to no one's surprise he hasn't answered ever since.

tl;dr: Don't commission RenX.

I don't know what's going on with them, but after 8 months there's no excuse for their behaviour. If anyone really wants to commission him do yourself a favour and get someone else, there's no shortage of great artists in this site.

Sorry for bumping this thread, but I made a post on Artists Beware about RenX last week. It's more or less the same I wrote here except with some screencaps. Needless to say, he still hasn't sent me anything or contacted me.

It seems that the image wasn't "phoned in" like I first though but a suspiciously exact copy of an existing Image. The tattoos were added but the Images match to a shocking degree. Not only are the Images almost a total match but the lines are as well.

I'm stumbling into a lot of threads like this - and those are not only withing art.
Communication is very important when it's about doing things like that.
I've been on both the sides - as a client and the one that does the service. And there are
jerks from both the teams. Artist is taking the money and not doing the job. Client wants more changes and miracles and not willing to pay an extra for this.

One thing for sure is important : e-mails from your side, and e-mails from his side.
If there's no communication between you two - there should be a reasons for this.

I hope you understand that a thread like this can ruin a reputation of a good man.
I don't know Renx /or you/ - so I cannot claim he's /or you are/ good or bad, just saying that there should be proof . Mails - text, written. Show. That's the proof, otherwise is nothing else but spitting on someone who's trying to make a living from art.

Probably there's another side of the coin, but the man is not around to share.
Also I can see that he or she made an update recently - and he or she is there.
Someone should notice the artist of what's going here.

Sorry for bumping this thread, but I made a post on Artists Beware about RenX last week. It's more or less the same I wrote here except with some screencaps. Needless to say, he still hasn't sent me anything or contacted me.

Sorry for bumping this thread, but I made a post on Artists Beware about RenX last week. It's more or less the same I wrote here except with some screencaps. Needless to say, he still hasn't sent me anything or contacted me.

In this case I'd say you really have some nerves. Sadly you cannot do much in this case, but to make sure to keep this thread alive so more people should see it .
You can even ask some of the administrators for advice , but most of them are artists and cannot do much about your thing too. Find another artist by your liking - and hope you won't step on another "landmine".

On the other side I don't blame him for taking the money full upfront, but not doing the job after is not cool at all

Rockwolf66 wrote:

Well it seems that you are not the only one with a bone to pick with RenX.

About a year ago I commissioned an Image of three of my characters taking a big dick.

It seems that the image wasn't "phoned in" like I first though but a suspiciously exact copy of an existing Image. The tattoos were added but the Images match to a shocking degree. Not only are the Images almost a total match but the lines are as well.

That kind of practice is called "tracing" - and when it's done right it looks good.
Most of the graphic designers are doing it , including me from time to time. It saves time and if you want to get into details about anatomy - this could be a good way to do it. You could call it "cheating" - or whatsoever, but again - if it's done right the result can be amazing - don't get me wrong - I'm not advocating him or defending him - that's a wide practice around - but no one will admit that openly.
I admit that I use porn images as inspiration, as direction and when I'm on rush I'm tracing some of those :
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/patreon.posts/4494421135005458903.jpg

I don't think that you have been lied - you got what you have asked for... or did you ??? To me it seems that you are experiencing the disappointment of a viewer who just found out how a magician is making his tricks. Most of the artists around are doing exactly the same thing - trust me/or don't.

The pro industry will in fact use references, even to the extent of hiring people to pose for their ref collections. Yet tracing is completely different. While most artists can go through several photos just to draw one pose, a trace is of course the opposite. Instead of taking bits and pieces to help build your knowledge and hash out the illustration, with a trace you can just shut the brain off for the most part.

Now, honestly, tracing is an unacceptable thing to do. Seriously disingenuous, more so if people are forking over their hard earned dough.

Yet if you're being 100% up front about your methods, then perhaps that's enough to calm the situation... Although I doubt you'd get many commission offers._________________"Paradox precluded, life could be complete." said the witty fool.
Tumblr ~ Deviant Art

The pro industry will in fact use references, even to the extent of hiring people to pose for their ref collections. Yet tracing is completely different. While most artists can go through several photos just to draw one pose, a trace is of course the opposite. Instead of taking bits and pieces to help build your knowledge and hash out the illustration, with a trace you can just shut the brain off for the most part.

Now, honestly, tracing is an unacceptable thing to do. Seriously disingenuous, more so if people are forking over their hard earned dough.

Yet if you're being 100% up front about your methods, then perhaps that's enough to calm the situation... Although I doubt you'd get many commission offers.

To the point -

1. The OP has the right to be unhappy and to make this thread. There's no excuse for these actions from artist side. There's no communication - or at least response from him to say even a lame excuse like: My cat died - I had to bury it - and I was crying for 2 months. Please accept my apology - I will draw your thing and something more with an extra " - at least that I would do.
Again I think that The O.P.can't do much about that, but to keep the thread alive as long as possible, BUT if artist contacts him and does his part of the deal - that should be announced as well from the client's side in here.
A word from administrator about that matter on PM - also should be a good step - they can't avenge the O.P, but at least they can advise him one way or another.

2. About tracing, methods and commissions - I still believe if the tracing is done right we would be having a piece of art. But guys - all of you - if you didn't recognize the photo - which is very popular by the way - where would you be right now?

In my humble opinion he traced the image of the foursome quite well.

Method: There's no specific method. I think that in art there should be no such thing like "unacceptable" - The guy has quiet a big portfolio /even though it's porn / - and from mails shown by the O.P. he has a lots of work on his table. He's even able to demand for $200 per piece - and to get them /and not even do the job

Now talk to me about methods!

I hope you guys are able to notice my sarcasm and irony.

You see - there are university graduates who struggle and willing to draw for small bucks - and they don't have hope they will be noticed. Acknowledged. To make living from art.

Methods - I'm confident enough to show my methods - / sorry I had to upload those on porn site, because from Vimeo they banned me for pornography and destroying the morals in the good society. But they are treasuring a video of random Arabian guy who's having sex with a female donkey - a true piece of art, made only using a cell phone, but who am I to judge ?!

If these would fit to your understandings about drawing from reference - or creativity , then I do have a method I'm showing and standing for it. All of these can be seen on my profile BTW / * smile to the audience and a blink with the eye*/

Man I am like A FUCKING ROCKET ! / but actually it's more like " I'm fucking a rocket - directly in the exhaust pipe while working in full capacity." = Then let's say I'm burning with the Art.

Still do I have enough commissions ? NO.

So it's not about tracing images or drawing by using your imagination /if you have any /, or perfect knowledge in anatomy, bone structure, volumes and shading, perspective and lights.
Here's a small story: "You were in class with several other idiots like you - who believe that art can be a way of living. On the other side there's a self centered semi narcissistic jerk, who's yelling in your face "YOU ARE NOTHING, until you BUY MY BOOK " /which costs $400 by the way." End of story.

It's about choice. Audience decides. Or in our case - HF administrators , but that's another topic - and has nothing to do with the guy who paid and didn't get a bit of a trace....

There's something in this artist's creations that made the impact on these people's brains.
Something made people pay him desired cost and not asking him questions. Is he artist ? - Oh yes - HE IS.
And you all guys /including me / can't do SHIT about it. His drawings look good /never mind how phoned those look to you.

Slightly changed the face - and I stopped watching this. For some reasons I cannot remove her from my watch list...

Is she artist ? For fucks sake SHE is - and she's got tons of followers and fans.
Is she good - to me - NO, to thousands - Hell YES! Does my opinion matters to her ? Fuck no.

Audience is the king - That's their choice.
And guess what - for sure she won't care for a guy who will say : This is unacceptable.

So Gentlemen, whatever you'd say Life goes on. There should be a moral values that will keep both the sides of "client and trader" - correct with each other. However in most the cases none of these exist. The one side is always fucked up.

That kind of practice is called "tracing" - and when it's done right it looks good.
Most of the graphic designers are doing it , including me from time to time. It saves time and if you want to get into details about anatomy - this could be a good way to do it. You could call it "cheating" - or whatsoever, but again - if it's done right the result can be amazing - don't get me wrong - I'm not advocating him or defending him - that's a wide practice around - but no one will admit that openly.
I admit that I use porn images as inspiration, as direction and when I'm on rush I'm tracing some of those :
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/patreon.posts/4494421135005458903.jpg

I don't think that you have been lied - you got what you have asked for... or did you ??? To me it seems that you are experiencing the disappointment of a viewer who just found out how a magician is making his tricks. Most of the artists around are doing exactly the same thing - trust me/or don't.

I know what tracing is and I have a few friends who make their living doing art. I commissioned them to do an Image of three of my OCs involved with a disembodied dick of their boyfriend. While I have little problem with artists using a Porn image as a reference,(I have sent artists porn images as references for poses), I have a big problem when an artist copies a porn image and then tries to pass it off as something original. As far as not recognizing the Porn Image it's a copy of. I don't follow the whole "Dorm porn" genre of porn. Your kink is not my kink and all that. What initially made me unhappy with their work was that the women pictured do not look at all like my OCs nor do they have the same "tattoos". Now I did a previous image before the one that was traced and they got my OCs right.

1. The OP has the right to be unhappy and to make this thread. There's no excuse for these actions from artist side. There's no communication - or at least response from him to say even a lame excuse like: My cat died - I had to bury it - and I was crying for 2 months. Please accept my apology - I will draw your thing and something more with an extra " - at least that I would do.
Again I think that The O.P.can't do much about that, but to keep the thread alive as long as possible, BUT if artist contacts him and does his part of the deal - that should be announced as well from the client's side in here.

I contacted RenX a couple of days ago (first time since that last November e-mail) with links to this thread and the Artists-Beware page. Since he's still active on this site, I'd assume he has seen it and doesn't see the point in answering both to the e-mail and/or this thread. After all, he got the money, most people don't check the HF forums and won't know about this, and he still has 2,000+ subscribers, so why bother?

I figure I should give one last update on this since it's been a year since I paid RenX and they never did anything. Obviously, he didn't answer to the e-mail I sent in February that I mentioned in my post above.
Some days ago I got someone to feign interest in commissioning RenX and send him an e-mail, which he quickly answered, with replies not taking more than a minute. Proof.
Between this, I sent him an e-mail myself and he never answered, so it seems pretty obvious that he's seen my e-mails and has no interest whatsoever in finishing the commissions I paid him for, not that I needed even more confirmation at this point.

At this point I'm dropping this right here. The guy took the money and decided to ignore me, and Paypal couldn't help me since it was already well past the payment date. If anyone reads through my walls of text in this thread I'd tell you not to waste your money with RenX even if you see him posting new material in his profile - it's pretty obvious he tries to have a quota going and only does some people's commissions so no one notices he's a scammer.

I figure I should give one last update on this since it's been a year since I paid RenX and they never did anything. Obviously, he didn't answer to the e-mail I sent in February that I mentioned in my post above.
Some days ago I got someone to feign interest in commissioning RenX and send him an e-mail, which he quickly answered, with replies not taking more than a minute. Proof.
Between this, I sent him an e-mail myself and he never answered, so it seems pretty obvious that he's seen my e-mails and has no interest whatsoever in finishing the commissions I paid him for, not that I needed even more confirmation at this point.

At this point I'm dropping this right here. The guy took the money and decided to ignore me, and Paypal couldn't help me since it was already well past the payment date. If anyone reads through my walls of text in this thread I'd tell you not to waste your money with RenX even if you see him posting new material in his profile - it's pretty obvious he tries to have a quota going and only does some people's commissions so no one notices he's a scammer.

fuck! I wish I'd seen this thread sooner. I'm still waiting for my alteration of the commission, because Renx, made a commission for me, that wasn't what I wanted. he first show me the inks, and when he finished it, it was something else, something I didn't want! it's been weeks and he still doesn't answers.... fuck!

I'm in the same boat as you guys here, except it took him 6 months (last year) to deliver first commission. Since I promised him I'd let him work on a certain one for me, I let him have that commission. I sent payment in December, so I'm gonna try to follow up soon. But if I get this one back, I'm not doing any more requests with him.
Also, should probably be another thread for this one, but I've had a commission that I've waited for for a year with Rider117. Kept telling me he had family problems and would have the drawing ready by the next week. Never done, and now doesn't even respond to my emails politely asking if this is still in progress and if he plans to finish it.

I'm in the same boat as you guys here, except it took him 6 months (last year) to deliver first commission. Since I promised him I'd let him work on a certain one for me, I let him have that commission. I sent payment in December, so I'm gonna try to follow up soon. But if I get this one back, I'm not doing any more requests with him.
Also, should probably be another thread for this one, but I've had a commission that I've waited for for a year with Rider117. Kept telling me he had family problems and would have the drawing ready by the next week. Never done, and now doesn't even respond to my emails politely asking if this is still in progress and if he plans to finish it.

If you paid in December you still have time to do a paypal dispute, but the deadline is coming up quickly (180 days). Once you open the dispute do not close it until you have the finished files in your possession, because you can only do it once. And you also have to remember to escalate the claim._________________✿ commission mailing list ✿